Heartless
by Syborg
Summary: What is heart? Can it be seen? Can it be measured? If it is not visible to naked eye then it does not exists, that's what Ulquiorra always thought. What she'll do when a Vizard breaks all her rational thought and leave her clueless? Will she learn the existence of heart from the unlikeliest source of them all? Female Ulquiorra, Ichigo.
1. Desolation

**Disclaimer:** **I, in no way own bleach or its characters, they are intellectual property of Tite Kubo.**

 **Footnotes**

Test : Narration.

 **Test** : Author notes.

 **"Test"** : Hollow/Zanpaktu/Hollowfied voice.

"Test" : Normal talking.

 _"Test"_ : Thoughts.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 : Desolation**

"Tell me trash... What is this "heart" you people keep talking about? Will I be able to see it if I cut open your chest now?" Ulquiorra taunted clearly exhausted Vizard.

Ichigo was nearing on his limit... This was tough, this woman wasn't giving him an inch, he was always in his guard. She was faster, powerful and dare he say more clever than him. He has never met an opponent who's movement he couldn't predict, save for this pale woman in front of him. She moved between his strikes like water, as if she knew he was going to do that and Ichigo, for the life of him couldn't figure out her strike pattern! It's like she didn't have any pattern at all! But he knew that was impossible, you gotta have a pattern when you're a warrior of this level. Wiping down sweat that formed on his forehead he sneered at the woman,

"Why don't you try and find out? Even if i told you, It's not like someone like you could ever understand the meaning or importance of heart!" Ichigo spat.

Ulquiorra was annoyed how this low level pest is taunting him like he's the superior here, should she swat him like the pest he is? No, she should try and get as much information from him as possible, this could be valuable to Aizen-sama. So she took another approach,

"That woman, the one came here willingly, was also taking about some nonsense like you're taking now. Aizen-sama killed her already..." She trailed off purposefully to see his reaction.

Ichigo was absolutely livid and was also felling horrid, she was lying right? Yes. Yes, that's right, she was lying, there's no way Inoue is dead, that sentence just didn't sound right, Inoue was so gentle and naive... No she was lying... That's... Right.

No matter what he did, he couldn't shake the feeling that the woman in front of him wasn't lying, there's no way to look for deceit in her behavior. She always says everything in that same emotionless manner, with that poker face. It's impossible to detect anything. The rage he was feeling at the Quarto Espada was overwhelming, even for him. He charged without a second thought.

Ulquiorra saw this and actually sighed in her mind, _"Humans... So fickle and so predictable.."_ She caught his Zanpaktu with her bare hand and with her other hand she took his face and and brought it close to her own and then in a almost mocking tone, she said,

"You humans are so easy to figure out... All I had to do is to give you a small nudge and you came charging here like the trash you are, handing your life to me. I can snap your neck like a twig now, do you wish to die, trash?" Ulquiorra asked, genuinely interested in his answer.

Ichigo was squirming against her hold, for a slender woman she sure has monstrous strength. Ichigo was about to pass out, he was holding onto his consciousness, but barely. Suddenly the woman let him go and let him catch his breath, he was looking at her cautiously and trying to put up a guard, but it was useless, if the Espada wanted him dead right now, he would be dead. He was in her mercy now.

"Do you love that woman?" The Quarto Espada suddenly asked.

Ichigo's eyes almost bulged out of their socket from the sheer absurdity of that question, what was she thinking!? Asking him something like that in the middle of a battle? He started sputtering nonsense and she did not look bemused.

"No need to get all fidgety, I simply asked you a question, I'm aware humans have an emotion called "love", it causes them to act irrational and stupid most of the time, like of what you're doing right now. So I'm asking again, do you love that woman or not?" Ulquiorra sounded quite displeased with the harebrained trash.

"What's it to you? Why do you care?" Ichigo asked back almost defensively.

"I do not, I merely had a curiosity about the situation, which seems to be out of your brain's capability, so for now let it go." Ulquiorra said with a poker face.

Ichigo was grinding his teeth so loudly out was audible, he was looking enraged at the woman. She captured Inoue, she's won't let him rescue Inoue and on top of that she had the gall to mock him? No he had enough. He picked himself up with Tensa Zangetsu firmly in right hand, he put his left hand over his face and swiped down and in that instant his swirling reatsu took black color with red wisp igniting its end, his face was covered by his hollow mask and his eye took pure golden color with black sclera. He looked at woman with ease in his breath, as if all his worries has been washed away, he called out to the woman,

 **"If you do not want to die, let me pass"** he said in a deadly calm voice with his hollow nature seeping through.

Ulquiorra looked unimpressed but took out her Zanpaktu from its sheath and swiped it in a semi-circle arc, thus destroying the roof of the building they were fighting on. And said,

"Follow me trash and I'll show you, your worth" she said unimpressed from the sheer malice emanating from the Vizard's reatsu.

Ichigo looked at her apathetically and brought up his Zanpaktu is his right side, away from his body, ready to slash her in a moment's notice and looked at her one last time. In a soft swish he disappeared from that woman's eye and two words were heard,

 **"Getsuga..."** Ulquiorra was looking as calm as she was in the morning, drinking her tea and looking at the horizon, she didn't reach out even flinch at the growling.

 **"Tenshou!"** The Vizard called out from behind her with a crescent shape lunar fang made its way out of his his Zanpaktu and rushed toward the apathetic Quarto Espada.

She saw the energy beam coming towards her and sheathed her Zanpaktu in a swift motion and reached out her hand to catch the lunar fang, she caught it with her bare hand and tore through it like it was made out of paper and looked at the, now gasping, Vizard.

Ichigo really couldn't believe his eyes... His strongest technique, and she tore through that like it was paper, like it took led effort than swatting a fly. He looked horrified behind his horrifying hollow mask and tried to croak out something but his face was suddenly smashed into the beam and his mask vanished. He fell to the ground and panted. But the Quarto Espada wouldn't let him breath now. She hoisted him up by his hair and said in her calm but menacing voice,

"Trash like you should learn their place, you're no match for me. I'll show you despair."

And then with a soft static of Sonido she vanished with the Vizard in tow, held by his hair. They were headed for the rooftop.

* * *

 **A/N: Well... That concludes the first chapter, its underwhelming, i know. But i just couldn't get the idea out of my head! I'm writing this in hope that this'll get this story out of my head!**

 **Syborg signing out.**


	2. Desolation - Part 2

**Disclaimer:** **I, in no way own bleach or its characters, they are intellectual property of Tite Kubo.**

 **Soundtrack for this chapter is "Superheroes" from the album "Rocket ride" by "Edguy"**

Test: Narration.

 **Test: Author notes.**

 **"Test": Hollow/Zanpaktu/Hollowfied voice.**

 _ **"Test": Hollow/Zanpaktu/Hollowfied thought**_

"Test": Normal talking.

 _"Test": Thoughts._

 **For better characterization, Ichigo's inner hollow is named Shiro.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Desolation - Part 2**

Ichigo almost lost consciousness as his head smashed into the roof and creating a hole big enough for them to pass. The Quarto Espada threw him like a ragdoll and he nearly rolled off to the edge. He barely managed to save himself. He stood up and looked for the Espada and found her standing in the corner of a dome with her Zanpaktu drawn in her hand and she was looking at him with the same bored and apathetic look. He looked in her eyes and found himself reflected there, there's nothing going on there. She's like an empty vessel, her eyes gave nothing but an overwhelming feeling of emptiness and desolation. He quickly looked away and gripped Tensa Zangetsu firmer and just as he was about to attack, he heard her speak,

"You humans are all the same, I warned that woman to keep her thoughts to herself..." Ulquiorra mused absentmindedly.

"What are you taking about?" Ichigo asked, quite panicky.

"Two lower numbered Arrancars beat her up badly because of her big mouth, it was quite interesting" Ulquiorra said emotionlessly.

"Unnecessarily beating people up, specially such an innocent soul as Inoue, its interesting?" Ichigo asked in a deadly calm voice.

"Why wouldn't it be? She got beat up but she still tried to defend those trash, I found that interesting, is it not?" Ulquiorra asked quite innocently.

Ichigo gave a mirthless laugh and said, "I was wrong, I thought just because you people look like human, there might be some sense into you but you're still hollows. Only in a much twisted sense" Ichigo declared.

"What of it? I've never once said I'm anything else" Ulquiorra corrected him.

"Let me go and this will be the end of this, you don't want me desperate, believe me" Ichigo said looking in her eyes.

Ulquiorra stood up straight and stabbed her Zanpaktu in the dome and said, "Don't get ahead of yourself trash, did you forget what happened just moments ago?" Ulquiorra mocked him.

"Please I'm begging you, don't do this, don't push me. You won't like what you'll find, please let me go, please..." Ichigo was looking at her clearly.

"Trash like you makes me wanna vomit everything I've ever ate, if you have power then be powerful enough to use it. Trash who can only talk make me wanna puke" Ulquiorra didn't changed her facial expression, it was the same, emotionless.

"This is the last warning, I will not hold back, I will not be merciful, I won't be myself, please, save yourself while you can" Ichigo finished.

* * *

Zangetsu walked around in his black coat and looked at the sky and found it going dark, a prelude to rain, he didn't like that one bit but he could hardly do anything. He looked around and found the other occupant of this soul, lazily dangling from a building's rooftop, he called out to Zangetsu,

 **"Hey old man, what are you doing? It looks like it's about to rain, and I don't want to listen to you bitch about rain" Shiro said mockingly.**

 **"I don't "bitch" about rain and you'll listen to anything I have to say, if you value your life " Zangetsu threatened him.**

 **"For Gods in Hueco Mundo, can't you teach the kid something that he can use? I swear everything we've taught him, kid just can't use it, its a matter of prestige now you know?" Shiro said annoyingly.**

 **"He seem to do his best in life threatening situation, which is just about to happen, I fear." Zangetsu said sagely looking at the darkened sky.**

 **"Heh... Looks like my kind of fight, did you see that chick? Ummmm, I'd love to find out what else she's capable of..." Shiro trailed off lecherously.**

 **"Spare me your euphemisms." Zangetsu said, Stoic faced.**

 **"You're no fun..." Shiro grinned.**

 **"Are you going to try and take over again?" Zangetsu asked the Shiro.**

 **"Once in a while the horse wants to be the king you know? It's just one of those instinctual urges, you won't understand." Shiro said dismissively but continued,**

 **"But if he doesn't win... Remember our deal" Shiro cracked a manic grin.**

 **"You don't have to remind me." Zangetsu said looking away.**

 **"Looks like it has begun..." Zangetsu trailed off solemnly.**

 **"Pray old man, pray that king doesn't lose, beacuse if he does..." Shiro trailed off with a glint in his eyes.**

Zangetsu was no longer listening to Shiro, he looked at the sky and thought to himself,

 _ **"Ichigo, I pray that you come out this fight as you went. If you don't, then God help up all..."**_

* * *

Ulquiorra picked up her Zanpaktu and pointed the end toward the Vizard and is a almost mocking tone taunted him,

"Show me your worth, trash. If you dare."

Ichigo had enough of being taunted and being treated like trash, he picked up Zangetsu and stood up straight. He looked at the Espada for a brief moment and in the next instant vanished from her view. Several things happened at once.

Ichigo shunpoed behind her, brought out his mask and gave a savage slice targeting her torso.

 **"Getsuga Tenshou!"**

Ulquiorra turned towards him and and tore thorough his lunar fang with ease and just as she was about to grab him but the hair, he was nowhere to be found. She evaded just in time, because he was on the opposite of her, he slashed at her that gave a shallow wound on her upper left arm. She clutched the wounded area with her other hand and jumped back to a safe distance and commended him,

"It seems like you still have some fight left in you, trash" she slightly praised him.

Ichigo watched in morbid fascination as the tissues of her arm locked together and stopped blood from leaking out and regenerated the wound as if it was never there. He snapped out of it and looked at her, she was waiting for him to attack. But since his last attack wasn't able to hit his mark, he thought he should hang back now.

"Not coming? What a shame... Here I thought you were finally growing some spine, but I guess trash will be trash" she said as she sashayed down the dome and toward him.

They both had their Zanpaktu drawn but neither attacked as they closed in on each other. Ulquiorra reached Ichigo's personal space, leaving a considerable distance between them, Ulquiorra started analyzing Ichigo's face by looking everywhere in his face.

Ichigo in turn had to look into her green colored eyes and her strangely attractive almost treat stricken face, in his hollow tainted mind he thought he heard his inner hollow utter a single word...

 _ **"Beautiful..."**_

Ulquiorra stretched out her left hand and inched it towards Ichigo's hollow mask. Ichigo was quite freaked out by this and he backed out a fair amount but Ulquiorra stepped right with him and she caressed his right side of the mask ghostly. Like how you would handle a child, to see if they will bolt or not, experimentally. Then she used the pad of her thumb and dragged out along the edges of his right eye socket, Ichigo was looking at it like he wasn't there in his body, he was looking at it from third person view.

Ulquiorra stopped her ministration and focused on his teeth showing mouth. She used the pad of her index finger to drag along the length of his mouth and Ichigo suddenly snapped out of his daze and jumped back several feet and asked her in a flustered manner,

 **"What... What do you think your doing?"** **Ichigo sounded quite panicky.**

"I was curious about your mask and wanted to examine it." Ulquiorra stoickly said.

 **"You don't do that in a middle of fight!" Ichigo suddenly angry**.

"Who said this is a fight? And even if it is, it's already over..." Ulquiorra said enigmatically.

 **"What are you taking about...? What did you do to me!? Answer ME?!" Ichigo screamed.**

"Pipe down trash, I didn't do anything to you.." Ulquiorra sounded annoyed.

 **"Then how the fight is over?" Ichigo asked.**

"If that is the stretch of your power then the fight is indeed over, I'll keep you here as long as we need and then you won't matter anymore anyway." Ulquiorra explained, bored.

Ichigo slashed as soon as soon as her taking stopped, he gave haphazard slashes targeting her entire body, Ulquiorra just evaded by moving in between them, not bothering to bring out her Zanpaktu. Ichigo kept slashing at her and found her no less intimidated, at his last length he screamed at her,

 **"Fight me ULQUIORRA!" Ichigo roared.**

"Stop ordering me trash, I'll do whatever I want to do." Ulquiorra was quite unfazed by his outburst.

Ichigo kept slashing at her and she kept dodging, after a while she felt tired to keep this charade up and knocked Ichigo's Zanpaktu our of his hand and hoisted him up by his hair and gave barrage of punches aimed at his midsection. And then she threw him away.

Ichigo was sure he was about to die, he couldn't breath, his breath felt shallow. His mask broke quite a while ago. He tried to inhale through his mouth, even that was of no use. He looked up and saw that woman standing in front of him with almost empathetic eyes. Then she spoke,

"Stay down trash, if you don't get up then this'll be the end of this debacle." Ulquiorra suggested.

 _"End"?_ Ichigo wasn't about to end here! He had friends to get back to, two beautiful twin sisters and shit... There was still Inoue! He wouldn't go down here! He can't go down here!

Driven by sheer will power, he stood up before her and look down on her and with a kick aimed at her midsection he tried to drive her away but she caught his kick and twisted his ankle, Ichigo let out a scream of sheer agony and flopped down on the ground clutching his bruised ankle.

"I told you to stay down trash, trash like you should obey when they're given order to." Ulquiorra said haughtily.

Ichigo still tried to get up and managed to stand in a wobbly manner on one leg, and gave a death glare to her.

"Even trash like you should understand by now that you're no match for me, why are you so eager to lose your life? Is that of no value to you? Then let me relieve you of it. Or is it because of this "Heart" you trashes keep taking about?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I will never surrender or bow down before you, I have friends, I have a family, I need to get back to them and for that I'll do anything necessary, I have a promise to keep. That's what having a heart means! Beating all of us for one and one for all of us! But a lifeless filthy hollow like you would never understand that!" Ichigo spat vehemently.

Ulquiorra stayed quiet for a moment and then looked at him with eyes colder than North Pole and started slowly taking out her Zanpaktu and said,

"It seems like you really have a death wish trash, don't worry, I, Ulquiorra will relieve you of your life today." Ulquiorra finished coldly and jumped back few steps and started taking again,

"Don't come near me, don't try to move an inch, if you do I can't guarantee that I won't kill you by mistake. Stay right there and witness despair" Ulquiorra said as she almost took out her Zanpaktu, then she uttered only two words.

Enclose, Murciélago.

The moonlight illuminated night sky of Hueco Mundo turned bright green and rain started to fall from the sky, it was green. Ichigo looked in fascination as the smoke around her cleared and she stood in her complete battle form.

Her clothes remained the same but her helmet that was broken on the side, gained symmetry and now was a complete helmet. Other than that he couldn't find anything different about her.

* * *

Zangetsu was looking at the now nearly black sky with grim face and was about to go find shelter from the rain that was about to come but halted at once as he heard the other occupant of this soul.

 **"He's gonna die, old man" Shiro said quite seriously, uncharacteristically.**

 **"I'm in no mood for your games" Zangetsu said quite annoyed, having his back facing Shiro, he couldn't see his serious face.**

 **"Would you, for the love of all that's unholy, listen to me once in your life you FUCKING moody coat hugging asshole!" Shiro bellowed.**

 **Zangetsu turned around to give Shiro a beating of a lifetime but was cut short as he saw his serious face.**

 **"He's gonna die old man, this reatsu... This... Something doesn't feel right..." Shiro said, uncharacteristically worried about his king.**

 **"So you've felt it too... I was praying that was my mind playing tricks on me... Why the sudden interest in Ichigo's well-being?" Zangetsu asked, quite interested in hearing the answer.**

 **"He and I might argue a lot but he's still my host and I still have to take over this body, can't do that if he's dead! So old man... This is just me, looking out for my interest." Shiro answered and turned around.**

 **"You will help?" Zangetsu was quite surprised at this prospect.**

 **"Weren't you listening?" Shiro said dismissively.**

 **"It's time for a chat then..." Zangetsu said as he willed to summon Ichigo to his inner world.**

Ichigo felt a pull from within and knew what it was and went with the flow. Next time he opened his eyes he was on the top of a skyscraper with two of his soul's inhabitants with him.

 **"Hello, Ichigo" Zangetsu greated him.**

 **"Yo king" Shiro said.**

"Zangetsu, Shiro, why am I here? I'm guessing this has something to do what's going on the outside?" Ichigo went straight to the point.

 **"Look! someone tried to think!" Shiro laughed comically.**

 **"You presume correctly Ichigo, we've called you here because you face mortal danger and might need some help if you want to prevent it." Zangetsu kindly provided.**

"What are you guys taking about?" Ichigo said, quite clueless.

 **"I told you, this guy has awareness of a rock! He wouldn't feel it!" Shiro grumbled at Zangetsu.**

 **"Quiet! I'm trying to solve something here!" Zangetsu quipped back.**

"Hey hey hey! What are you guys taking about?" Ichigo was standing there like an idiot.

 **"You cockblocking asshole! We are part of your Soul, living inside your inner world, when we've felt it how can you not? What are you made of? Rock?" Shiro spat at him.**

 **"What this sorry excuse of a hollow is trying to say is..." Zangetsu was halted mid sentence.**

 **"Hey! Watch your mouth, old man!" Shiro threatened.**

 **"Haven't you felt something weird about this reatsu? Anything weird at all?" Zangetsu coaxing him.**

"Now that you mention it... This reatsu did feel weird... Like it was trying to suck out my soul or something..."

 **"Hah! Now he gets it, five points to Griffindor!" Shiro said sarcastically.**

"I've been tolerating you for some time now, don't test my patience, Shiro..." Ichigo dangerously muttered.

 **"Let's go then!" Shiro cracked a manic grin and twirled the stark white blade in his hand by its cloth.**

Ichigo was about to teach him a lesson but Zangetsu intervened and stopped both of them on their tracks.

 **"Ichigo, I'm sorry but I can't have you fight here, you have to get back there, you're in danger..." He apologized to Ichigo**

 **"And you... I'll bury you in these outskirts where even your Soul won't be able to find your body, so shut it!" Zangetsu threatened Shiro.**

Shiro gave a dismissive snort but stepped away and then Zangetsu turned to Ichigo.

 **"Ichigo I believe Shiro has something to say to you..." Zangetsu pointed towards Shiro.**

Shiro stepped forward and put his hand on Ichigo's chest and his hand glowed for a second and Ichigo freaked out a bit but stayed put. And after the glowing finished, Shiro stepped away from him and was about to take off but Ichigo asked him.

"Hey! What did you do to me you asshole?" Ichigo asked.

 **"Is that the way you talk to someone who just helped you? Old man I changed my mind, I don't care if this bitch dies, let...me...get...my...power...back!" Shiro was held by Zangetsu as he was trying to get close to Ichigo.**

"What the hell are you taking about?" Official said quite clueless.

Shiro gave a sigh and said,

 **"It's not even funny anymore... I'll let the old man explain it to you... I'm outta here..." Shiro vanished before their eyes.**

 **"Ichigo... Shiro shared a portion of his power with you, with this you'll be able to hold the mask for indefinite time, but be careful." Zangetsu explained.**

Ichigo was quite flabbergasted, his self-centered inner hollow would do such a thing?... He didn't pay it too much heed and thanked them both and closed his eyes to get back to the real world.

Zangetsu solemnly thought,

 _ **"Be careful Ichigo... I was quite serious when I said "be careful", if you don't use this power wisely... There's no telling what you might become..."**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **This concludes the second chapter of "Heartless". I hope you enjoyed this, because I had a blast writing this!**

 **Till we meet again!**


End file.
